As C Joseph Vijay took oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Sunday and warmly referred to Rahul Gandhi as his “brother” from the stage, an old political episode from 2009 returned to the spotlight — the time when the Tamil actor’s meeting with the Congress leader had sparked intense speculation that he was preparing to join the party.
Nearly 17 years later, the political chemistry that once fuelled rumours in Tamil Nadu appears to have evolved into a full-fledged alliance, with the Congress playing a crucial role in helping Vijay cross the majority mark and form the government.
At Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony in Chennai on Sunday, the warmth between the two leaders was on full display. Rahul Gandhi sat beside Vijay on stage, the two were seen chatting through the ceremony, and Vijay even clicked a selfie with the Congress leader moments after taking oath.
But it was Vijay referring to Rahul Gandhi as his “brother” during his first speech as Chief Minister that stood out.
“I thank the Congress and its leader Mallikarjun Kharge, along with my brother Rahul Gandhi, for extending support to our government,” Vijay said after taking oath.
The camaraderie seen on stage was rooted in a political connection that dates back to 2009, long before Vijay formally entered politics with the launch of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in 2024.
Vijay’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi in August 2009 had triggered intense speculation in Tamil Nadu about whether the actor was preparing to join the Congress. At the time, Rahul Gandhi was emerging as a key face of the Congress and was leading efforts to strengthen the Youth Congress and NSUI, while Vijay was already one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars and had started building a fan-based social movement through his Vijay Makkal Iyakkam.
According to an Indian Express report, the meeting was facilitated by then NSUI national secretary Gopinath Palaniyappan and Vijay’s father, filmmaker S A Chandrasekhar, accompanied him to Delhi.
Vijay later recalled how the invitation from Rahul Gandhi had initially surprised him.
“From Rahul ji’s side, one of my well-wishers reached out. He asked me to come meet him. I thought this is a good opportunity. Not everyone gets a chance like this. I’m not such a big person that I can just go meet Rahul ji anytime,” Vijay had said later while speaking about the meeting.
“One day, my father and I cancelled all our shoots and went to Delhi. We met him at his house. I was very surprised by the way he spoke to us, and the way he received us. I felt very happy,” he had said.
Vijay had also praised Rahul Gandhi’s focus on youth and political reform. At the time, Rahul Gandhi was being credited within the Congress for energising the party’s youth outreach after the UPA returned to power in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections with a stronger mandate. Gandhi was actively pushing internal reforms in the Youth Congress and projecting a younger leadership image for the party.
“He is working hard to bring about a big change in India. They are focusing on youngsters. Especially the steps they took in the recent Parliament elections we all know the results of that,” Vijay had said.
Vijay said the two spoke for about an hour about many things – general topics, cinema.
“…he also asked about the people’s movement… But I will not join anyone like the news that came out recently,” Vijay, however, firmly clarified.
The Indian Express report cited Congress sources saying that Rahul Gandhi had then offered Vijay the post of Tamil Nadu Youth Congress chief and there were plans for the actor to appear with him at a public meeting in Coimbatore later that year.
However, Vijay eventually distanced himself from speculation that he was joining the Congress.
Still, the political chemistry between the two appeared to survive over the years.
Rahul Gandhi called Vijay after the actor launched TVK in 2024, while Vijay later wished Rahul on his birthday. The two also spoke after the Karur stampede and after TVK’s strong electoral debut in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The renewed closeness became politically significant after TVK fell short of the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly. Congress, which has five MLAs, was among the first parties to support Vijay, helping him cross the halfway mark needed to form the government.
Soon after Vijay received the Governor’s nod to form the government, the Tamil Nadu Congress unit even posted an AI-generated celebratory video on X, comparing the Rahul-Vijay partnership to the iconic Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan reunion visuals from cinema.
Rahul Gandhi too publicly congratulated Vijay on Sunday, writing: “Tamil Nadu has chosen. A new generation. A new voice. A new imagination. My good wishes to Thiru Vijay — may he fulfil the hopes of the people of Tamil Nadu.”
Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony, where Rahul Gandhi sat prominently next to the actor-turned-politician, was not just the beginning of Vijay’s tenure as Chief Minister. It also marked the visible culmination of a political relationship that first sparked curiosity in 2009 — when a rising film superstar travelled to Delhi to meet a young Rahul Gandhi, briefly fuelling speculation that he might one day join the Congress.
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